Civil Traffic Violations

How do I know if my citation is for a criminal offense or a civil violation?

Each of the charges listed on your citation has a box above the statute explanation to indicate the type of offense: Criminal, Criminal Traffic, Civil Traffic, or Petty Offense. Your citation may contain more than one type of offense.

What should I do if I receive a citation for a civil traffic offense?

If you are an adult, you must do one of the following: appear at the court on or before your scheduled appearance date, pay your fine in full by mail or online, or request a civil traffic hearing. Failure to do so will result in a default judgment being entered against you for the full amount of the fine, an assessment of an additional $70 default fee per charge, a $ 20-time payment fee, your case being sent to collections where a hold on your registration may apply, additional fees assessed, and an interception of your Arizona state taxes.

If you are under 18 years of age and have received a citation for a civil traffic violation, you must appear in court on or before your scheduled appearance date accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Your parent may also appear on your behalf.

How do I request a hearing on my civil traffic violation?

You may send in the request form below by email, fax, or in person on or before your court date. A hearing will be set for 2-3 weeks (on a Thursday) from the date we receive your request.

A hearing being set waives your ability to complete Defensive Driving School.

Civil Traffic Hearing Information

Civil Traffic Hearing Request

What happens if I fail to appear?

A default judgment will be entered against you for the full amount of the fine, plus the assessment of an additional $70 default fee per charge, and a $ 20-time payment fee. Your case may be sent to collections where a hold on your registration may apply, additional fees assessed, and an interception of your Arizona state taxes.

What do I need to know about Defensive Driving School?

Defensive Driving School must be completed at least 7 days prior to your court date. If you need an extension to complete, please contact the court by phone, email, or fax. We recommend calling a week after completion to make sure we receive the completion from the school. Once we have, your case will be closed and no points assessed against your driving record.

Eligibility-
- You were cited with a Civil Traffic Moving Violation. (12-1-2D is a town code violation and is not eligible for DDS)
- It has been at least 12 months since you last Completed Defensive Driving School. (This is violation date to violation date)
Link and phone number
- azdrive.com
- 1-888-334-5565

I received a citation for No Proof of Insurance. What do I need to do?

If you had insurance at the time of the violation and provide proof to the court on or before your court date, that charge may be dismissed. If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the violation but purchased a 6-month policy you can provide the insurance policy and a 39-month MVD record for that charge to be reduced.

I received a citation for No Registration. What do I need to do?

Please contact the court for more information as it depends on which statute you were cited with if you are eligible for a reduction of fines or dismissal.